Boubakary Soumare is a target for French side Monaco with just six months remaining on his contract and this the final window for City to make any money on the midfielder
Marti Cifuentes at Leicester City’s Seagrave training base(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Losing Boubakary Soumare would add a third transfer to Leicester City’s wanted list with manager Marti Cifuentes admitting he “cannot predict” the French midfielder’s future.
Interest in Soumare is ramping up with L’Equipe reporting on Friday that Monaco have the 26-year-old firmly in their sights now he’s into the final six months of his City contract.
Soumare has not played since the end of November because of a knee injury but is due to be fit again come next weekend’s M69 Derby, and Cifuentes sees him as one of four players to cover the two deeper midfield positions, alongside Oliver Skipp, Jordan James, and Louis Page.
But with this window the final chance to sell Soumare, his future is up in the air.
It’s already been established that City want a new striker while Cifuentes is also keen on a new attacking midfielder following Aaron Ramsey’s latest injury.
A deep midfielder to provide competition for Skipp would have to be added to the list if Soumare goes, with seemingly no route back into the fold for Harry Winks, whose contract also expires in the summer.
“My main target with Bouba is getting him back, recovering from his injury,” Cifuentes said when asked if he wanted Soumare to stay.
“What can happen, I don’t have a crystal ball. I cannot predict. What I know is that when he’s in good form, he’s a good player.
“We think of Bouba as a 6. He can do the job as an 8, because he can cover a lot of ground, he’s technically good enough as well. We have Louis Page as well.
“We have those four players to cover those two positions and perhaps only Bobby (De Cordova-Reid) can cover the number 10.”
Skipp has started eight straight games while Soumare has been injured and Winks has been overlooked, but he could be rested when City’s FA Cup campaign begins on Saturday lunchtime with a third-round tie at Cheltenham (12.15 kick-off).
If Skipp is afforded a break, it may be Hamza Choudhury filling his spot, albeit the City vice-captain is primarily seen by Cifuentes as a full-back.
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